kratom and alcohol Archives

How to Take Kratom: What You Should and Shouldn’t Do

January 12, 2021 by Speciosa Guide 2 Comments

You may have purchased your very first batch and wondering how to take kratom to reap the best results. And even if you’ve been taking kratom for some time now, knowing what you should and shouldn’t do can make the results even better.

While the popularity of kratom and the amount of information available on it is growing, sadly, there’s lots of misinformation too. And it may be hard to find exactly what you’re looking for or information that you can trust.

We’re on a mission to make useful quality information on kratom easily available. Therefore, we’ve put together this guide to help you know what exactly you should and shouldn’t do when you take kratom.

How to Take Kratom: What You Should Do

1. Choose Which Kratom is Best for You

Kratom comes in four different vein colors. Three of them, red, white, and green, are natural, while the fourth one, yellow kratom, is achieved through a different type of processing.

Red vein kratom is often called “slow”. Its effects are soothing, relaxing, and analgesic. It’s excellent for pain relief, relaxation, dealing with insomnia, stress, and anxiety.
Some call white vein kratom “fast”. That’s because it’s energizing and uplifting. It’s great to increase energy and productivity as well as improve the mood.
Green vein kratom is a moderate midway between the above two. It has both stimulating and soothing effects. So, you can expect mild pain relief, increased energy, and calm focus.
Yellow kratom is also rather moderate with effects that are close to those of green and red vein.

In addition to those, you may also come across extracts, resins, and blends like Trainwreck kratom. We generally do not recommend those to new users because their dosage can vary or be imprecise and effects may be unpredictable.

Kratom possesses its qualities depending on the concentration of the alkaloids that it contains. This can vary according to the place and conditions in which kratom grows as well as the vendor.

Because of that, there may be differences between different strains of each vein. An example is Red Bali and Red Sumatra. While both are red strains, Red Sumatra is more invigorating while Red Bali is the most popular relaxing strain.

Pay attention to the qualities of each individual strain and choose what offers the effects that you’d like to feel. Keep in mind that when you get started, moderate strains can be a better fit for beginners, especially if you are looking for energizing effects.

Some vendors offer samples that you can order if you’d like to try kratom. You can start with those to see which kratom works best for you. This will prevent you from buying large amounts of kratom that you may not like.

2. Know How Much Kratom to Take

The effects of kratom can vary depending on what dose of it you take. You can use the breakdown below as a guideline:

2-4 grams is the amount that can result in stimulating effects. We advise you to start with no more than 2 grams at the beginning. 1 gram may be even better as you can always add more if you have not reached the desired effects. 4 may be too strong and you may achieve soothing and sedating effects instead. Yet, it may be suitable for more experienced kratom users.
4-6 grams is the dose to achieve pain-relieving and soothing effects. Once again, we advise beginners and those who are less experienced with kratom to go for 4 grams only, as anything above it can be sedating.
6-8 grams would result in soothing, euphoria, pain relief, and may even put you to sleep. Note though that this may be too strong for some users. In general, we advise you not to go over 8 grams.

Whatever effects you’d like to achieve, we advise you to always start with a smaller dose and gradually build up to achieve the desired effects.

Keep in mind that your body’s ability to absorb the herb will depend on its composition and body fat percentage. So, if you’re an athlete or have a very low body fat percentage, we advise you to start with half of the suggested and gradually word out what your body responds to best.

Other factors such as whether you are taking your kratom on an empty or full stomach can also influence how your body responds to a dose. You will likely feel faster and more intense effects if you take kratom on an empty stomach. This, however, can be too much for a new user. Taking your dose with a little food can result in smoother effects.

3. Measure Kratom Accurately

While it may seem easy to simply take a spoon and eye your dose, we strongly advise you to not do that. Depending on how much you put into it and how fine the powder is, the amount can greatly vary. You can take a completely different amount of kratom every time.

By measuring and taking the wrong dose you can achieve different results and may even experience kratom side effects.

But that all can be easily avoided if you measure your kratom dose accurately.

To do that, invest in a digital scale with a 0.01-gram sensitivity scale. A regular kitchen scale won’t be as sensitive. You can easily get one at a local store or online (like the one below) for less than 20$.

0.01g Digital Pocket Scale

Knowing exactly how much kratom you take will also allow you to accurately track your kratom intake. If you start experiencing kratom side effects, this can help you pinpoint exactly what is causing it.

4. Stay Hydrated

Some kratom users may experience constipation after taking kratom regularly for an extended period of time. To avoid that, make sure you drink plenty of water.

Reduce or cut out sugary and caffeinated drinks as these may further dehydrate you. Also, include plenty of fiber-rich food into your diet such as fresh fruit, vegetables, wholemeal bread, brown rice, and similar. Magnesium supplements may help too.

Don’t rely on taking laxatives as they also can seriously dehydrate you if you don’t drink enough water. If you absolutely need a laxative effect, include foods into your diet that have a laxative effect. Some examples include prunes, oat bran, flax seeds, chia seeds, kiwi, and kefir.

Coffee also has a laxative effect. Yet, you may not want to resort to it or reduce your dose if you are taking the stimulant strains of kratom.

5. Keep Your Kratom Tolerance Low

It is possible to develop kratom tolerance, especially if you take the same strain for prolonged periods of time. However, there are ways to make sure that does not happen to you.

First of all, do not take kratom every day. Take a few days a week off. Preferably if they are in a row. That will allow your body to reset and get the alkaloids out of your system.

Rotate kratom strains instead of always taking the same one. Normally, you’d want to mix greens or whites with reds. Take a different train a few times a week, but avoid taking more than two strains on a single day.

6. Start Taking Kratom on Your Days Off

From personal experience, we know that each individual body can react differently to different strains and amounts of kratom. Therefore, if you’re completely new to kratom or you are starting with a new strain you have never tried before, it’s best to do so on a day that you’re off or don’t have any important business to tend to.

If you don’t know how your body will respond to kratom or a specific vein or strain type, don’t take kratom before you drive.

The reason for that is that you likely will go through some trial and error until you discover what works best for you. And until you do, this may help you avoid any unpleasant situations.

How to Take Kratom: What You Shouldn’t Do

1. Take Substances that May Interfere with Kratom

While kratom is safe, mixing it with other substances may not be. As a matter of fact, the deaths that the FDA or CDC attributes to kratom are actually caused by other substances. Not kratom itself.

Sadly though, because of their activities against kratom, there are limited studies on it and the use of other substances with it.

Therefore, there are a few that we advise you to stay away from while you take kratom. These include drugs and alcohol.

If you take prescription medicine, ask your physician if it is safe to take it together with kratom or mitragynine, one of the kratom’s most potent alkaloids.

2. Take the Same Strain Every Day

Some users discover a strain that they really like and take it on a daily basis as they would any other supplement. However, it’s not the best approach to how to take kratom as it’s easy to develop tolerance in the same way you would develop tolerance to coffee.

Kratom tolerance manifests in the need to take a larger dose of kratom to experience the same results you had at the beginning. That will require you to use more kratom and spend more money.

Taking the same strain every day is the fastest way to developing tolerance. Though, it can be avoided by simply making small changes in how you take kratom.

As described above, taking days off and rotating strains are some ways in which you can do so.

3. Buy a Large Bulk without Trying a Sample First

Knowing how to take kratom properly is one thing, how it interacts with your body is another. As a natural substance, taking the same dose of the same kratom strain can produce slightly different effects in different people.

For example, some take green vein to gain extra energy while others feel more relaxed after it.

The only way to know how exactly your body will respond is by actually trying it.

So, instead of buying in bulk right away, try samples and smaller packages first. Don’t be afraid to experiment with a few different strains to see which one gives you the results that you want.

4. Drive

Even if you are taking the stimulating strains, it’s best to avoid driving after taking kratom. At least until you have established your dose, know how your body reacts to kratom and how long its effects last.

If you’re taking the slow strains, we advise you to not drive altogether. Kratom may relax you so much that you may become sleepy thus risking falling asleep when driving.

And even if you take the fast strains, you may become sleepy when kratom effects begin fading.

5. Take Cheap Kratom

How to take kratom isn’t the only thing that matters. It’s also the quality of the kratom you take.

While cheaper prices are often viewed s bargains, don’t treat kratom the same way. Instead of a bargain, go for quality.

The reason for that due to the FDA’s moves against kratom. Despite being legal, kratom isn’t regulated.

That means that there are no standards that vendors need to adhere to in order to be allowed to sell kratom. Eventually, it all comes down to what each vendor values and cares about.

And some vendors care about their profits more than they do about the users’ health. That results in importing low quality, fake, or contaminated kratom.

To avoid purchasing bad or fake kratom, carefully choose whom you buy it from. Read through reviews and customer testimonials. Check their website and what content they have on it. What do they care about?

Is their kratom fresh? Is it tested for contaminants? Does it seem like they know what they are talking about? Can you trust them?

If anything feels off, it may be best to move on and look for another vendor.

If you’re looking to save some money, instead of choosing cheaper kratom look for vendors that source their kratom directly from vendors. Their kratom will be cheaper, but not because of lower quality. They will not deal with a middleman who would be charging extra thus making the kratom retail price go up.

6. Take Kratom on an Empty Stomach

From personal experience, we advise you to take kratom after having some food in your stomach. At least until your body gets used to it or you know that it does not bother you. Otherwise, kratom may upset your stomach and you may not feel your best.

Taking kratom on a full stomach may also not be the best idea. Your body will take much longer to digest the food and your dose, resulting in slower and less pronounced effects. So, wait until 30 min or an hour have passed after a meal before you take kratom.

Alternatively, you can take kratom with a small snack, yogurt, or mix it into a smoothie.

Do you have any useful tips on how to take kratom? Is there something else that should be avoided? Feel free to share them in the comment section below.

Can You Use Kratom to Stop Drinking Alcohol?

December 10, 2019 by Speciosa Guide 2 Comments

Kratom has numerous beneficial uses because of which many call it a miracle herb. It helps people deal with a wide range of issues, from chronic pain to depression. So, it’s natural for one to wonder if they can use kratom to stop drinking alcohol.

Why Is Heavy Alcohol Use Dangerous?

Alcohol abuse is a serious concern. It can be extremely damaging to one’s health as well as affect other areas of one’s life. People with heavy alcohol consumption have an increased risk of liver disease, heart disease, blood clots, and high cholesterol levels, brain and nervous system problems, gout, cancer, seizures, and infections.

Alcoholism can also cause premature death and disability. With an estimated number of 88,000, heavy alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of death, surpassed only by tobacco, poor diet, and lack of activity.

According to the CDC, six people die from alcohol poisoning every day.

Moreover, 31% of driving fatalities happen due to intoxication.

In addition to being harmful to one’s health, heavy alcohol consumption can also negatively impact the lives of their family members, especially children. Alcoholism can cause financial struggles, marital issues, domestic violence, and negatively impact the psychological development of children and their future.

In 2017, there were over 14 million adults with alcohol use disorder whereas, in 2018, the number rose to over 15 million, indicating that heavy alcohol consumption is a growing concern.

Nonetheless, only 6.7% of those with alcohol use disorder had sought treatment. There are multiple reasons for why people with alcohol use disorder do not seek treatment, some of the most common being insufficient finances or lack of support.

So, they may be looking for alternative ways to

Can Kratom Help You Quit Alcohol?

While each person’s experience can be drastically different, numerous people report that kratom has helped them reduce their alcohol consumption and feel better. Kratom use helps to overcome alcohol withdrawal symptoms and stop drinking as well as provides the body with many other benefits.

How Can Kratom Use Help You to Stop Drinking Alcohol?

1. Kratom Can Help Relieve Physical Pain

Since ancient times, people have been using alcohol to relieve intense chronic pain. Studies prove that it is indeed effective. As a result, about 28% of people choose alcohol as a means to ease pain. Nonetheless, heavy and regular alcohol drinking can make pain even worse, which can lead to continuous, chronic drinking.

Moreover, taking alcohol together with prescription drugs can be dangerous to one’s health and cause additional health concerns.

Kratom can relieve different kinds of pain. The potent kratom pain relief eliminates the need for alcohol and even prescription opioids.

2. Kratom Can Help You Relax and Stay Calm

Since alcohol is a depressant, there is a number of people who start drinking alcohol heavily to cope with stress. This can be a stressful job, family situation, or other issues. Since heavy alcohol consumption can lead to depression, this can make their situation even worse.

One of kratom’s benefits is stress relief. So, if you would like to relax after a long working day or any other reason, you can use kratom to stop drinking.

3. Kratom Can Improve Your Mood and Make You Feel Euphoric

Many people take kratom to become more cheerful and optimistic. Yet, it’s not only terrible for your health, but can make you feel even worse emotionally afterward.

Certain kratom strains can boost your mood and make you feel euphoric. What’s more, kratom can also improve your sleep, the lack of which can be associated with a bad mood.

4. Kratom Can Help Reduce Alcohol-Induced Anxiety

If you suffer from anxiety, alcohol can make it even worse. That’s because it affects the levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters in the brain.

Kratom can help you relax, reduce negative and disruptive thoughts, and remain more focused. You can use kratom to stop drinking, and, if kratom is legal in your state, you can even take it before and while you are at work.

5. Kratom Can Help Counter Alcohol-Related Depression

Alcohol is a depressant; therefore, drinking it can make you feel depressed. Depression can worsen due to alcohol consumption because alcohol affects the drain. Heavy alcohol use can also affect your likelihood to make bad decisions, and dealing with them later can negatively affect depression.

While kratom can’t cure depression, it can provide significant assistance by improving your mood, making you more energetic, and less affected by intrusive thoughts.

Best Strains to Use Kratom to Stop Drinking

There are different kratom vein types and a wide variety of strains, each of which comes with a unique alkaloid profile and associated effects.

Nonetheless, due to the nature of causes and problems caused by alcohol, green vein kratom strains and a combination of greens and reds tend to be the most suitable options for those who’d like to use kratom to stop drinking alcohol.

Green strains can provide energy, improve focus, aid with depression, and relieve pain. So, they are great for the morning and early afternoon.

Reds, however, are potent pain relievers, can help you relax, fall, and stay asleep, as well as make you feel euphoric. Therefore, most reds are more suitable for the evening time.

In most instances, it is best to avoid white vein kratom strains. That’s because whites are energizing, and less experienced kratom users tend to find it too agitating. If you take alcohol to relieve stress and anxiety, white strains can have the opposite effect. Be cautious of strains like Red Sumatra and Red Maeng Da as those can be more energizing.

Consider trying various strains to discover the ones that best suit your needs.

Don’t Take Kratom and Alcohol Together

While kratom can be extremely effective in helping quit alcohol, we strongly advise not to take kratom and alcohol together as it can result in adverse side effects. In addition to that, never mix kratom, alcohol, and prescription medication. There are potential kratom drug interactions, and adding alcohol to the mix can be even more dangerous.

Has kratom helped you quit alcohol? What strains did you find to be the most helpful? Perhaps you have other tips for people who’d like to use kratom to stop drinking? We’ll extremely grateful if you shared those with our community and us.

What Is Kratom Hangover and How You Can Avoid It

December 28, 2018 by Speciosa Guide Leave a Comment

Kratom has a great number of benefits and positive effects. Because of them, an estimated 3-5 million people in the United States use kratom to feel better.

Some of the most popular kratom benefits include pain, stress, and anxiety relief, as well as increased energy and focus. Yet, the list of kratom effects and benefits is actually much longer.

Despite these, it is also possible to experience kratom side effects although they are relatively rare and can be easily avoided. One of them is kratom hangover.

Wait…what?

Yes, you read that right. It is possible to have kratom hangover. However, it’s generally very rare.

So, if you wake up feeling like you’ve had a wild night but didn’t actually have one, it’s possible that you are experiencing kratom hangover. The good news is that just like the other kratom side effects kratom hangover can also be easily prevented.

What Is Kratom Hangover and What Causes It?

Kratom hangover is a state caused by symptoms that are hangover-like. Users normally experience it a few hours after taking kratom.

Note that the symptoms are hangover-like. Kratom hangover is not the same as the hangover that you would experience after taking alcohol. It’s also milder than and not as unpleasant as alcohol hangover.

Alcohol-induced hangover is caused by inflammation, a drop in blood sugar, and dehydration. However, kratom does have the same effect on the body. It can dehydrate you, but it does not cause inflammation and blood sugar drop.

In most cases, kratom hangover happens if you take an excess dose of if your body is very sensitive to kratom. The latter may happen if you are a novice user and/or have very low body fat percentage.

It can also happen accidentally, for example, if you switch sellers and start taking kratom that is more potent without adjusting your dose accordingly.

Users are also more likely to experience kratom hangover after taking slow or sedative strains such as Red Bali.

This is because kratom in smaller doses causes stimulating effects and in larger doses – sedating effects. If you go straight for the higher doses or suddenly up your dose without letting your body adjust properly, it can be easy to misjudge how much kratom you actually need.

Sometimes, you may also experience kratom withdrawal if you abruptly stop taking it. You may experience something akin to what you may feel after abruptly stopping drinking coffee.

What Are the Symptoms of Kratom Hangover?

Users usually experience kratom hangover symptoms in the morning after taking a larger dose the night before. Note though that it’s not actually that common.

Nausea and Stomachache

In the majority of cases, nausea that one may experience during a kratom hangover is rather mild. Yet, its strength will depend on the dose taken. It doesn’t normally last long.

Some users may experience kratom stomachache if they are sensitive to kratom and/or take it on an empty stomach.

Headache

Another symptom you may experience is kratom headache. It is usually even rarer than nausea and mild rather than pounding as it may be after an alcohol hangover.

You may experience it if you are not hydrating yourself properly.

Sleep Issues

Similarly to alcohol, kratom can cause sleep issues. While there is little scientific proof to back this up, these most likely happen because it disturbs REM sleep.

REM sleep and deep sleep are the most restorative parts of your sleep. Therefore, disturbing it could mean that your body isn’t getting as much rest as it normally would. The same effect can happen if you take too much coffee or certain medications. Alcohol too can affect it.

Fatigue

Because of insufficient rest, you may also feel fatigued or lethargic. This is more typical after taking the slow strains and typically lasts for a few hours. But, you should be able to easily fix it by taking a cup of coffee or the fast strains of kratom.

However, we do advise you to stick with coffee as trying to cure kratom hangover with more kratom can cause alkaloid buildup in your system and contribute to you developing tolerance.

Depression

If you suffer from depression, it is possible that you may feel even more depressed the next morning after taking an excess dose of the sedating kratom strains. For instance, you may be feeling apathetic or have an extremely hard time finding the motivation to get up or do anything.

If that happens, remind yourself that you are OK. That it’s simply your body responding to an excess dose of kratom.

It may also be a good idea for you to use the faster stains such as green, yellow, or white vein instead. They are less likely to enhance the symptoms of depression that the slow strains.

How to Avoid Kratom Hangover?

1. Start Small

If you are a novice kratom user, start with small doses. Even if you go for the sedating strains like Red Bali.

If you are looking for sedating effects, start with a lower dose. Then, keep adding half a gram or a gram every 30 to 60 minutes until you start feeling the desired effects. Keep note of how much you have added so that you can calculate the exact amount that you should be taking next time.

2. Measure Your Dosage Properly

We’ve emphasized it before that eyeing your kratom dose is never a good idea. You can easily scoop a larger dose if you do not accurately measure it. Make sure you use a sensitive scale instead of regular kitchen scale to do so.

3. Keep a Kratom Log

Another useful idea is to keep a kratom log. It can help you keep track of the dosage that you are taking. By doing so you can notice if you start developing kratom tolerance or what is causing side effects and kratom hangover if you experience them.

4. Hydrate Yourself Well and Eat Regularly

Kratom can cause dehydration which may contribute to you experiencing kratom hangover. Therefore, it is important to drink plenty of water to avoid that. Not to mention that drinking plenty of water is beneficial for optimal health either way.

You should also keep eating regular meals and healthy snacks. These can help you metabolize kratom better.

5. Take Quality Kratom

Make sure that you buy quality kratom. Don’t automatically go for the lowest price to save a couple of dollars. You may end up getting low-quality, adulterated, or even fake product if you opt for cheap kratom. So, you may be experiencing hangover-like symptoms, but it may not actually be kratom that’s causing them.

6. Don’t Mix Kratom and Alcohol

Kratom and alcohol don’t go well together. So, it’s best to avoid mixing them. Alcohol is a depressant. Taken together with kratom, it can intensify kratom’s sedative effects. As a result, you are likely to feel nauseous and lethargic the day after.

How To Get Rid of Kratom Hangover?

If you find yourself in a situation when you experience kratom hangover, the best thing you can do is drink plenty of water. You may add a cup of coffee if you are feeling exhausted or lethargic.

Do, however, stay away from soda and make sure to drink an extra glass of water for every cup of coffee that you take. That’s because both soda and caffeine can further dehydrate you.

Have you ever experienced kratom hangover? What were your symptoms and how did you cope with them?

Kratom and Alcohol: Can You Combine the Two?

November 16, 2018 by Speciosa Guide Leave a Comment

When you’re using an herbal supplement, you usually don’t think of it as a medicine. This is why many people may combine alcohol with the herbal supplement they’re currently using.

More often than not, there are no immediate side effects and people simply continue using alcohol.

But is it really so?

Kratom and Alcohol: The Side Effects

What you need to understand is that there are many types of side effects. If you’re not vomiting or having a headache – it doesn’t mean you’re not experiencing side effects stemming from alcohol use.

Basically, side effects are everything your body experiences contrary to the beneficial aspects of your herbal supplement. This may sound a bit complicated, but it’s not. Here’s the thing.

You may feel perfectly normal, without any major side effects such as vomiting or headaches. At the same time, you could be using an herbal supplement and alcohol, while feeling perfectly normal. And still – alcohol could work against you.

How is this possible? Because alcohol can destroy all the “good” chemical processes that are happening in your body, without you even knowing it. And in the end, it would be as if you hadn’t even taken that supplement in the first place.

This is why you really need to pay attention when combining alcohol with natural remedies and supplements. And here we come to the topic of kratom. How kratom and alcohol go (or don’t go) together?

Lack of Reliable Information Available on Combining Kratom and Alcohol

Many kratom users simply don’t know a lot about combining kratom and alcohol. If you do a search on kratom and alcohol online, you’ll find a lot of discussions about this in many online forums.

Most of the users’ comments are based on their personal experience. There is little reliable information on the topic from trustworthy sources.

And this is the real problem. We are all different, which means that two bodies will react differently to an intake of kratom and alcohol.

Furthermore, kratom is a new supplement, and it hasn’t been around for long. There is still not enough research on it. So, we can’t anything with 100% certainty.

However, there are certain points you should keep in mind. But be sure to take the information with a grain of salt because, as we said, the research on the subject is still fresh.

Doses of Kratom and Alcohol

Combining Low Doses of Kratom and Alcohol

If you use a low dose of kratom with alcohol, it will most likely provide relaxing effects, without affecting you too much. There shouldn’t be any major problems, at least that’s what the majority of the users report. You should feel normal, yet slightly more relaxed and elevated.

In general, kratom users who took low doses with alcohol claim they felt very good and uplifted.

Nevertheless, you should definitely avoid this, especially if you need to operate more complicated tasks, such as driving the car or handling heavy equipment. Even low doses combined with alcohol can affect your judgment.

Combining Moderate Doses of Kratom and Alcohol

If you combine kratom and alcohol in moderate doses, that’s already a different story. Now, side effects are slowly starting to show. Many users have reported feeling sick, experiencing dizziness, and vomiting. Also, many of them feel lethargic.

There are, however, users who don’t experience any side effects whatsoever, even at moderate doses. But again, this all comes down to the individual.

One of the reasons why people can experience side effects at moderate doses is kratom strain. As we discussed earlier, there are different kratom strains and they can all have different effects on the individual. Some kratom strains are simply more potent than others, and they work differently with alcohol.

Nausea comes as one of the most common side effects of moderate-dose use. And the strains that usually cause this are so-called sedating strains, which include most types of red vein kratom.

Combining Higher Doses of Kratom and Alcohol

And finally, we come to high-dose use. If you use a high dose of kratom and combine it with alcohol, it will most likely cause nothing but harmful effects.

The majority of users who experienced this say the side effects include: nausea, headaches, feeling hungover after sleeping, etc. It’s very rare to find a user who didn’t feel bad, in any way, after using a high dose of kratom and alcohol.

And these are just some of the side-effects users experience. There are also general fatigue, stomach discomfort, problems with breathing, dehydration, high levels of mental and bodily stress.

Combining alcohol with a lot of kratom can affect your health in so many ways. It’s not just the side effects we mentioned. It can also lead to kratom overdose, which is a terrible experience. You are hereby strongly advised against using alcohol with a high dose of kratom.

Why Kratom and Alcohol Often Don’t Go Well Together?

By definition, alcohol is a depressant. Its function is to block the signals coming to the brain from the nerve receptors. Because of this, you experience reality in a different way, because your senses are somewhat distorted.

Kratom, however, is a stimulant. The function of a stimulant is to increase physiological or nervous activity in the body. Therefore, kratom and alcohol are in direct opposition, and it’s never a good idea to combine a depressant with a stimulant. This is the main reason why so many people experience side effects when combining kratom and alcohol.

So, what would be the best solution?

The answer is this: if possible, you should completely avoid using alcohol along with kratom.

However, if you still prefer consuming alcohol with kratom, we strongly advise to keep it at a bare minimum. And definitely shy away from taking high doses of kratom with alcohol.

Conclusion

Since kratom is relatively new, we expect a lot more research in the months and years to come. We will definitely know a lot more on the subject.

Until then, we advise you again – stay away from alcohol while using kratom. Not only will this protect your health, but it will also enhance all the beneficial qualities of kratom. And you will be able to experience kratom in a much more fulfilling way.

Have you taken kratom and alcohol together? How did you feel? Did you experience any side effects? If so, what did you do?

Why Is Kratom Not Working and What Can You Do?

October 16, 2018 by Speciosa Guide 16 Comments

You may have purchased kratom with huge expectations but not felt the desired results. Or you’ve successfully used kratom for a while to one day find your kratom not working.

Depending on how fast your metabolism is and what strain you are taking, kratom effects usually kick in within 10 to 30 minutes. With some strains, you’ll experience come up within an hour.

If this time frame has passed, yet you feel nothing, you may be doing something wrong. Let’s go over some of the most common reasons for kratom not working and find out what’s causing it.

Reasons and Solutions for Kratom Not Working

You’re Not Taking the Right Dose

One of the most common reasons for kratom not working is taking the wrong dose. Many new users start with a low dose.

That’s not wrong, just the contrary. We actually recommend starting with a lower dose. That allows you to gauge how your body responds to kratom and avoid side effects.

As a natural substance, kratom interacts differently with individual bodies. Some people may need a higher dose while others will get the same effects with a lower one. And there’s no saying what will work for you until you actually try.

So, if you’ve taken kratom, but it’s not working, take a slightly larger dose more next time. Don’t drastically increase it though, but do so gradually. Even if you don’t feel any results after a few times.

Doing it this way, you’ll have an easier time finding the right dose for you without having kratom side effects.

Keep also in mind that the effects of kratom will depend on the dose that you are taking. In lower amounts, you’ll experience uplifting and euphoric effects, yet in higher doses, you’ll get sedative effects.

Also, make sure you are using a sensitive digital scale to measure your dose for the most optimal results.

You’re Not Storing Kratom Properly

If you receive a bag from the vendor, open it, and leave it in the cupboard, that may be the reason why kratom’s not working for you. Not closing your kratom bag properly or opening it every day, exposes it to oxygen and likely also light.

These along with moisture are the main reasons for kratom losing its potency.

However, if you store kratom in airtight containers in a cool and dark place, then it’ll be more likely to retain its potency much longer.

You’re Not Responding to the Strain that You’re Using

While not very often, this may also be the reason for kratom not working. Not everyone responds to the same strains in the same way. We’ve even heard of cases when people do not respond to certain strains at all.

What you can do is try some of the most popular strains such as Red Bali or Green Maeng Da. Most users tend to not have any issues with them. Or you can order a few samples first and compare your results after using different strains.

You’re Taking Kratom on a Full Stomach

Kratom is a dried substance that takes time to digest. If you’ve just had a huge meal, your digestive system already has plenty to do.

Adding kratom to the mix means that it’ll need a lot more time to be properly digested and absorbed. As a result, you may feel weaker results or may not feel any at all.

To avoid that, some sources advise taking kratom on an empty stomach. We do not fully agree with that. While it may work for some, you have a high chance of irritating your stomach. Especially if you are not experienced with kratom.

Instead, we advise you to have some food in your stomach, much as a small meal or a snack and not take kratom right after it. Wait for 30 minutes or an hour.

This way, your stomach won’t be completely empty, but also not stuffed full. Therefore, you’ll have a lower chance of upsetting your stomach, experiencing kratom side effects, or kratom not working.

You’ve Developed Kratom Tolerance

If you are a regular user, kratom may not be working because you’ve developed tolerance to it. That can happen if your body gets used to kratom.

It can happen with any substance. For instance, one can develop tolerance to perfume or cologne if they use it every day and not sense it anymore.

As a result, the same amount of kratom won’t be enough anymore and you’ll need a higher dose to experience the same effects.

Kratom tolerance can develop for a number of reasons:

you’ve used the same strain for a long time,
you use kratom every day,
you have a kratom buildup in your system.

Increasing your kratom dose may seem like the easiest thing to do, but it requires more kratom and a larger investment from you.

Kratom alkaloids take an average of 24 hours to leave the human body. So, if you take kratom at a relatively same time, there still may be some self in your system from your previous dose.

There is an easy way to troubleshoot that though. You can take a break from kratom for a few days, not use it every day, and rotate strains to prevent buildup from happening.

You’re Taking Kratom with Other Substances

There is a possibility that other substances that you are taking neutralize the effects of kratom. This can happen if you take alcohol or prescription medicine along with kratom.

It’s best to avoid taking kratom and alcohol together. In the case of medicine, we advise you to consult your doctor and inquire about the possibility of it interfering with kratom.

You’ve Purchased Low-Quality or Fake Kratom

If you’ve tried changing things up, but nothing’s worked, chances are that’s not you, but the kratom you’re taking.

Much of the kratom on the market is low quality or not very fresh. That would mean that when you buy it, it’s already passed its prime. Some may even be fake, mixed with other substances, or even contaminated.

For instance, those who travel in India and purchase kratom there aren’t getting the real thing. Labeled as Indian Kratom, it’s a plant from the same family, but it’s not the real Mitrogyna Speciosa that you’d purchase from a trusted vendor. Its effects are either weak or nonexistent, and it may even make some sick.

If you aren’t traveling, but ordering online from your home in the US, make sure you choose a vendor who sells high-quality products.

Some buyers go for vendors with lower prices, but are getting what they pay for. The kratom that they receive isn’t as good as it could be.

As a matter of fact, our favorite vendor actually has higher prices than others on the market. However, we need to take only half of the product that we would have to if we were using the cheaper kratom.

So, on the surface, it seems like we’re paying more, but we’re actually using a much more potent product and the same amount lasts us a lot longer.

Is kratom not working for you? What do you think is causing it?